Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 42 Li Chengqian's sword is extremely sharp

Between the pavilions and corridors, Li Tai, wearing a purple cloak, walked quickly towards the study.

At the study door, Fang Yiai, who heard the footsteps, hurried out to greet them. Seeing Li Tai, he quickly bowed and said, "Your Highness."

"What's so urgent? Call me back directly. The "Expanded Geography" is at a critical moment." Li Tai said as he walked in from the door.

Fang Yiai looked around carefully, then retreated into the study and carefully closed the door.

Turning around, Fang Yiai saw Li Tai already sitting on the main couch. He hurried forward and said, "Your Highness, news just came from the palace that Prince Jin and Princess Jinyang will go to the East Palace the day after tomorrow to visit the Crown Prince. I think that since this is the case, we should just let the imperial physician go at the same time. The Crown Prince has always refused to let the imperial physician review his leg injury. This time Prince Jin and Princess Jinyang are going, and if he refuses again..."

Li Tai's eyes lit up involuntarily. Ever since Li Chengqian appeared safely before all the officials last month, Li Tai had wanted the imperial physician to expose his illusion, but Li Chengqian had always firmly refused and refused to let the imperial physician re-examine him.

There was even one time when the imperial physician had already arrived at the Eastern Palace, but was sent back by Li Anyan on the grounds that he had not been summoned.

But the more this happened, the more Li Tai felt that Li Chengqian was guilty.

This time Li Zhi went to visit Li Chengqian, so maybe the emperor was also paying attention...

"That's it." Li Tai nodded with a sinister look on his face and said, "Erlang, go to the Imperial Physician's residence in person and bring a large sum of money. He will know what to do."

"Yes!" Fang Yiai bowed solemnly, then turned around and was about to leave.

At this time, Li Tai suddenly spoke again: "Wait a minute, Erlang."

Fang Yiai turned around in surprise and said with a bow, "Your Highness!"

Li Tai hesitated for a moment, but still asked, "Is there any follow-up to Lu Hu's matter?"

"Your Highness, the matter of Lu Hu has been completely resolved." Fang Yiai bowed solemnly and said, "Your Highness, please do not ask any more questions. There is no chance of success on that matter. The Lu family and the Crown Prince have reconciled. If Your Highness really pursues it, it will only offend the Fanyang Lu family."

Li Tai was slightly stunned, then sighed and said, "Okay."

"In that case, I will take my leave first." Fang Yiai bowed seriously and turned to leave.

Looking at Fang Yiai's leaving back, Li Tai's eyes narrowed slightly.

It seems that there are some things that Prime Minister Fang did not tell his son.

Was that matter really done thoroughly, without leaving any loose ends? This was what Li Tai was most worried about.

……

At the gate of Cheng'en Hall in the Eastern Palace, Li Chengqian nodded to Su Shu and Princess Jinyang who were escorted out, then looked at Li Zhi and said, "I told you, let's go to Chongwenguan. I've been studying the 'Kaogong Zhi' recently and have found quite a few things along the way."

"Yes!" Li Zhi bowed seriously to Li Chengqian, turned around and looked at his sister Princess Jinyang, then bowed to the Crown Princess, and then followed Li Chengqian.

Su Shu watched them leave, then pulled Princess Jinyang back to the palace, saying with a smile, "Sizi, the Empress Dowager knows you're coming, and has prepared a lot of food. Let's eat and chat at the same time."

"Yes!" Princess Jinyang couldn't help but nod, and at the same time, she looked in the direction of Li Zhi and Li Chengqian again, with an involuntary comforting joy in her eyes.

……

The black herringbone gear was pulled quickly by a long chain, and the huge hammer hanging on the other side was pulled high.

The next moment, the chain loosened, and with a "bang", the hammer hit the red-hot iron block below.

Sparks flew.

Li Zhi, who was dressed in a purple robe, was walking by. When he saw this scene, he was so scared that he quickly dodged.

"Don't worry, it's okay." Li Chengqian smiled, then looked at Xu Shuya and Li Yifu who were following behind Li Zhi, and said, "In the past, sword forging was done by human power, hammering one by one. But now that we've switched to human power pulling the hammer, even apprentices with low skills can participate as long as they're strong enough. The masters only need to control the blade."

Xu Shuya and Li Yifu watched all this in amazement.

Across the street is the quiet Chongwen Hall, and on this side is the noisy craftsman's workshop, with even flames flying everywhere.

The way the East Palace does things is really surprising.

"In this way, the master craftsmen can participate in the forging of swords for a long time, and there is no need to worry too much about the loss of skills." Li Chengqian said, walked to the back of the workshop, picked up a long sword with a black sheath placed on it, and with a "clang", the long sword was unsheathed.

A sharp, straight, almost flawless blade lay before Li Chengqian. From one side of the blade, one could even clearly see Li Zhi's appearance.

Li Chengqian sheathed the sword and handed it to Li Zhi, saying, "This one I made especially for you, so you can use it for self-defense in the future."

"Thank you, my royal brother." Li Zhi gripped the hilt of the sword in surprise, drew the sword out of its sheath, his eyes full of surprise.

Man, who doesn't like knives.

"Don't be too happy too soon." Li Chengqian waved his hand, looking at Li Zhi's stunned hospitality, and said, "You have to wait until the fifteenth day before you can take this sword. I want to give this first sword made from the "Kaogong Zhi" to my father. After my father takes it, it will be your turn."

"Of course, but in the Eastern Palace, my royal brother, I can play as I please." Li Zhi looked at Li Chengqian with expectation.

"Okay." Li Chengqian couldn't help laughing.

Just at this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the yard.

Li Chengqian looked up in surprise and saw Li Anyan approaching quickly. He bowed slightly to Li Zhi before bowing to Li Chengqian and saying, "Your Highness, the Imperial Physician Xie Jiqing has arrived with two other doctors. They want to see your Highness for a follow-up examination."

Li Chengqian's expression darkened. He waved his hand and said, "Tell them I'm entertaining the Prince of Jin. Ask them to come back later."

"Yes!" Li Anyan bowed and was about to leave, but Li Zhi subconsciously stopped him. He then looked at Li Chengqian and said, "My Royal Highness, I came here today to visit you. Although you are much better now, you should ask the imperial physician to take another look... My Royal Highness, it is not right to hide your illness and avoid seeing a doctor!"

Seeing Li Zhi's sincere concern, Li Chengqian couldn't help but smile and said, "Zhi Nu is right, but I really have something to do these days, so it's not convenient for me. Let's wait until after the 15th, or the 16th, and have them come to see me again."

"Yes!" Li Anyan immediately bowed, then turned around and walked away quickly.

Li Chengqian said, "Okay, let's go, young slave. I'll take you to see it again."

"Okay." Li Zhi glanced at Li Chengqian's left leg, but then followed Li Chengqian with a smile on his face to inspect the entire workshop.

……

In the twilight, Li Chengqian stood at the palace gate and watched Li Zhi and Princess Jinyang leave.

At this time, Li Anyan stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness, when Li Yifu, the Prince of Jin, left a letter with an address on it. I checked and found that it was from a monk named Li Qin from the Nestorian Church in Persia.

He was a disciple of the Nestorian monk Alopen. He was said to be a skilled doctor, especially good at treating eye diseases, but it was not known that he was also good at treating leg diseases.

"On the 16th, ask him to come along." Li Chengqian said calmly, "I hadn't figured out how to deal with Qingque's provocations yet, but now I have an excuse."

Li Anyan took a step back and said with a bow, "Yes!"

Li Chengqian looked towards the Taiji Hall and said softly, "No matter what, let's go through the fifteenth grand ceremony first."

……

The morning light paves the road, and golden light shines everywhere.

Li Chengqian held the knife box in his hand and walked at the front of the ministers with a solemn expression.

In front of him was the magnificent Taiji Hall, beside him was Li Tai, the Prince of Wei, who coveted the position of crown prince, and behind him were prime ministers including Zhangsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling.

But Li Chengqian looked calm.

In the knife box in front of him was the sharpest horizontal sword forged by Donggong in the past six months.

As the saying goes, when you hold a sharp knife in your hand, murderous intent arises.

Although Li Chengqian did not have the intention to kill immediately, he had a sharp knife in his hand and the world was fair.

Li Chengqian felt at ease.

The censor reported that the price of wooden stakes in the Ministry of Agriculture was higher than that of ordinary people, and the case of Zhao Yuankai, the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, embezzling money, would break out today.

Perhaps it is a moment of confrontation.

But he remained fearless.

(End of this chapter)